New Year’s holiday quiet one for law enforcement

Published 9:30 pm Monday, January 2, 2006

The three-day New Year’s holiday produced only one DUI arrest in the county despite numerous traffic stops during an otherwise “typical” weekend for local law enforcement.

State troopers worked “a half-dozen or so” accidents in Cullman County from Friday through Sunday, according to a spokesperson at the trooper post in Decatur, but none of those accidents involved injuries.

A Saturday evening single-vehicle accident on Alabama Highway 157 North near the I-65 interchange reportedly sent two people to the hospital. No information was available Monday on the injured, although their injuries were not thought to be serious, authorities said.

The Cullman Fire Department responded to a fire call at an apartment on Harmony Lane Southwest just after 10 p.m. Saturday.

Fire Capt. Junior Reinhardt said the fire originated in the kitchen area in the vicinity of the stove.

“The fire spread to the cabinets and there was some fire damage to the kitchen area and some smoke and heat damage throughout the apartment,” Reinhardt said. “We evacuated the adjoining apartments as a precautionary measure until the fire could be brought under control. Our guys did an outstanding job of containing the fire mainly to the kitchen. Although there was some smoke and heat damage to other areas of the apartment, I’d classify that damage as minor.”

Cullman County Sheriff Tyler Roden said reports from the weekend indicated a “typical” weekend for local law enforcement.

“Call volume and arrests for the period were typical with only one DUI arrest reported,” Roden said. “Deputies made several traffic stops and responded to a number of domestic disturbances, but no more so than usual.”

Police Chief Kenny Culpepper reported business as usual for the most part in the city during the period from Friday through Sunday.

“I worked Saturday night and things were pretty quiet. I was really pleased that people were heeding requests not to drink and drive,” Culpepper said.

Police dispatch Monday noted that department officers and investigators had reported one domestic violence, three thefts of property, three burglaries, two criminal mischief and one criminal trespassing incident this past weekend.